Methods for enabling pet ownership

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides methods for enabling an individual having a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet. Such a method can include quantitatively determining a threshold in the individual for an environmental level of an allergen produced by the cat and selecting a cat or a breed of cat that creates an environmental level of the allergen that is less than the threshold. Additionally, such a method can include lowering the allergens disseminated by the cat by treating the environment inhabited by the cat during a time period where the cat expresses elevated allergens.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/984,857filed May 21, 2018, which claims priority to Provisional Patent Appl.Ser. No. 62/510,842 filed May 25, 2017, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Cat allergens are produced by cats and can affect pet owners. Allergenscan be spread throughout the environment inhabited or frequented by thecat including litter boxes, bedding, counters, floors, etc.

Symptoms of cat allergies range from mild rhinitis and conjunctivitis tolife-threatening asthmatic responses, and cat allergies are a majorroadblock to cat ownership. For example, cat allergy is the primaryreason given by cat owners for returning cats to animal shelters.

Most cat allergies are caused by a small stable glycoprotein called Feld1 (Feline domesticus allergen number 1). Cat allergens such as Fel d1can be released from the litter box into the surrounding area. Forexample, cats often scratch and shift the cat litter, creating dust bywhich the cat allergens become airborne in the surrounding area.Similarly, scooping the cat litter can circulate cat allergens into theair.

Fel d1 can be particularly problematic because it is lightweight (35kDa) and thus remains suspended in the air for an extended amount oftime. Furthermore, Fel d1 is a sticky protein and consequently adheresto articles within the area surrounding the litter box, such as carpets,walls, furniture, clothing, and curtains, thereby making this allergendifficult to remove after it has circulated from the litter box.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to enabling an individualhaving a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet. Additionally, such methodscan be used for matching prospective pet owners to prospective pets.

Accordingly, in a general embodiment, a method of enabling an individualhaving a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet can comprise quantitativelydetermining a threshold in the individual for an environmental level ofan allergen produced by the cat and selecting a cat or a breed of catthat produces an environmental level of the allergen that is less thanthe threshold.

Additionally, in another embodiment, a method of enabling an individualhaving a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet can comprise lowering theallergens disseminated by the cat by treating the environment inhabitedby the cat during a time period where the cat expresses elevatedallergens.

Further, in still another embodiment, a method of enabling an individualhaving a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet can comprise identifying acat from a plurality of cats based on the identified cat producing lessallergen relative to the other cats of the plurality of cats.

Yet, in another embodiment, a method of matching a prospective cat ownerto a cat can comprise of identifying a cat from a plurality of catsbased on the identified cat producing less allergen relative to theother cats of the plurality of cats.

Additional features and advantages are described herein and will beapparent from the following Detailed Description and the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an apparatusprovided by the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an apparatusprovided by the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method provided by thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method provided by thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a graph of experimental results obtained in Example 1.

FIG. 6 is a graph of experimental results obtained in Example 2.

FIG. 7 is a graph of experimental results obtained in Example 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. The words “comprise,” “comprises” and “comprising”are to be interpreted inclusively rather than exclusively. Likewise, theterms “include,” “including” and “or” should all be construed to beinclusive, unless such a construction is clearly prohibited from thecontext. However, the devices disclosed herein may lack any element thatis not specifically disclosed. Thus, a disclosure of an embodiment usingthe term “comprising” includes a disclosure of embodiments “consistingessentially of” and “consisting of” the components identified.

The term “pet” means any animal which can produce and/or carry anallergen. The pet can be an avian, bovine, canine, equine, feline,hicrine, lupine, murine, ovine, or porcine animal. The pet can be anysuitable animal, and the present disclosure is not limited to a specificpet animal. The term “companion animal” means a dog or a cat.

While the terms “individual,” “subject” and “patient” are often usedherein to refer to a human, the present disclosure is not so limited.Accordingly, these terms refer to any animal, mammal or human.

Ranges are used herein in shorthand to avoid listing every value withinthe range. Any appropriate value within the range can be selected as theupper value or lower value of the range. Moreover, the numerical rangesherein include all integers, whole or fractions, within the range.

All percentages expressed herein are by weight of the total weight ofthe food composition unless expressed otherwise. When reference is madeto the pH, values correspond to pH measured at 25° C. with standardequipment. As used herein, “about” or “substantially” in reference to anumber is understood to refer to numbers in a range of numerals, forexample the range of −10% to +10%, preferably −5% to +5%, morepreferably −1% to +1%, and even more preferably −0.1% to +0.1% of thereferenced number.

The methods and devices and other advances disclosed herein are notlimited to particular methodologies, protocols, and reagents because, asthe skilled artisan will appreciate, they may vary. Further, theterminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and does not limit the scope of that which is disclosedor claimed.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms, terms ofart, and acronyms used herein have the meanings commonly understood byone of ordinary skill in the art in the field(s) of the presentdisclosure or in the field(s) where the term is used. Although anycompositions, methods, articles of manufacture, or other means ormaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used,the preferred devices, methods, articles of manufacture, or other meansor materials are described herein.

In one embodiment, a method of enabling an individual having a catallergy to have a cat as a pet can comprise quantitatively determining athreshold in the individual for an environmental level of an allergenproduced by the cat; and selecting a cat or a breed of cat that createsan environmental level of the allergen that is less than the threshold.

Generally, the allergen can be any allergen produced by the cat. In oneembodiment, the allergen is Fel d1. Additionally, in one embodiment,quantitatively determining a threshold can include positioning a firstallergen source comprising the allergen in a chamber, distributing theallergen from the allergen source in the chamber, having the individualin the chamber, and measuring the symptoms of the individual, asdescribed herein. In one aspect, the allergen source can comprise apredetermined concentration of the allergen and the individual issymptomatic at the predetermined concentration, thereby providing thethreshold of the individual. Additionally, in another aspect, thedistributing of the allergen can be performed for a predetermined timeperiod. In one embodiment, quantitatively determining a threshold caninclude exposing the individual to a predetermined concentration ofallergen from an allergen source such that the individual issymptomatic, thereby providing the threshold of the individual.

The allergen source can be any material having the cat allergen. In oneembodiment, the allergen source can be cat hair and the exposing of theallergen can be performed for a predetermined time period.

Generally, the present methods can be used with any cat or to match anycat with any prospective owner. As such, in generally, cats can bequantified as high, medium, and low allergen producers where highallergen producers produce an average salivary Fel d1 concentration from10 to 100, or higher, μg/ml, where medium allergen producers produce asalivary Fel d1 concentration between 5 and 10 μg/ml, and where lowallergen producers produce a salivary Fel d1 concentration between 0.01and 5 μg/ml. In some aspects, the cat can produce a salivary Fel d1concentration of less than 4, 3, 2, or even 1 μg/ml. In other aspects,the cat can produce a salivary Fel d1 concentration of more than 10, 15,20, 25, 30, or even 50 μg/ml. While the threshold can be individuallydetermined for any subject, in one embodiment, the threshold can behigher than the Fel d1 concentration present in an environment, such asa home, where the cat is a high allergen producer. In one aspect, thecat can be a medium allergen producer. In another aspect, the cat can bea low allergen producer.

In another embodiment, a method of enabling an individual having a catallergy to have a cat as a pet can comprise lowering the allergensdisseminated by the cat by treating the environment inhabited by the catduring a time period where the cat expresses elevated allergens.

Lowering the allergens or treating the environment can be by any methodthat removes or degrades the allergen, or otherwise inhibits the bindingof the allergen in a human. In one embodiment, treating the environmentcan include shampooing the cat to remove allergen from the cat. Inanother embodiment, treating the environment can include wiping,contacting, or cleaning a member selected from the group consisting ofcounters, floors, furniture, bedding, and walls, with an antibody thatbinds to the allergen. In still another embodiment, treating theenvironment includes oral administering to the cat antibodies that bindto the allergens. In one aspect, the antibodies can be polyclonalantibodies. In another aspect, the antibodies can be part of a foodcomposition. Generally, the elevated allergens can be measured as acorrelation to an average salivary Fel d1 concentration produced by thecat. In one aspect, the allergens can be lowered by at least 50%. Inother aspects, the allergens can be lowered by 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%,or even 99%.

While the present methods can be used at any time during the year, thepresent inventors have discovered that some cats can produce a seasonhigh allergen load at specific periods of year. As such, in oneembodiment, the time period can be from November to February. In anotheraspect, the time period can be from July to September. Regardless oftime period, the present methods include enabling cat ownership bytreating a cat having elevated levels of Fel d1 whether it be at aspecific time of the year or a period specific to an individual cat.

In addition to the above, a method of enabling an individual having acat allergy to have a cat as a pet or a method of matching a prospectivecat owner to a cat can comprise identifying a cat from a plurality ofcats based on the identified cat producing less allergen relative to theother cats of the plurality of cats. In one aspect, the cat can be ahigh Fel d1 producer. In another aspect, the cat can be a medium Fel d1producer. In still another aspect, the cat can be a low Fel d1 producer.

Various apparatuses can be used to determine the threshold of an owneror prospective owner as well as environment level produced by the cat.The following description provides an example of such apparatuses.

FIGS. 1 and 2 generally illustrate an embodiment of an apparatus 10provided by the present disclosure. The apparatus 10 can generate andcan measure environmental levels of an allergen as discussed in detailhereafter. The apparatus 10 can comprise a housing 20, an allergensource 30, and an air circulation device 41. The housing 20 ispreferably portable; in an embodiment, the housing 20 is a collapsibletent. As used herein, a “collapsible” article is capable of beingconfigured into a smaller size without causing damage to the article,preferably without the need for tools.

The housing 20 can form a chamber. Although the housing 20 can beair-tight, the housing 20 does not have to be air-tight, and anembodiment of the housing 20 merely forms a closed system such that thetested allergen does not exit the interior of the housing 20 during useof the apparatus 10 and additional allergen does not enter the interiorof the housing 20 during use of the apparatus 10.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 20 can comprise a frame 22 thatsupports a shell 24 to form the chamber. In an embodiment, the frame 22is made of a metal material. Preferably the shell 24 is made ofnon-porous material. The shell 24 can define the interior of the housing20. For example, the shell 24 can form a majority of the outer surfaceof the housing 20 (e.g. substantially all of the outer surface of thehousing 20) and/or a majority of the inner surface of the housing 20(e.g. substantially all of the inner surface of the housing 20).

Preferably at least a portion of the housing 20 can be folded to enabletransportation and compact storage. For example, at least a portion ofthe frame 22 and/or at least a portion of the shell 24 can be folded toenable transportation and compact storage of the housing 20. The housing20 can be arranged in (i) an operative configuration in which thehousing 20 defines an interior and (ii) a storage/transportconfiguration in which the housing 20 defines an interior that issmaller relative to the operative configuration or in which the housing20 does not define an interior e.g. the housing 20 is folded completelyupon itself. For example, the frame 22 can comprise one or more polesthat can be configured in (i) an operative configuration in which thepoles are inserted into each other at their ends to form a substantiallyrigid and/or stable arrangement and (ii) a storage/transportconfiguration in which the poles are in a compact arrangement, such aslaying side-by-side with each other. The poles can be hollow andconnected to each other by one or more cords, such as rubber ropes, thatpass through the interiors of the poles to enable a user to move thehousing 20 between configurations and arrange the housing 20 in thedesired configuration.

The shell 24 is preferably flexible; for example, the shell 24 cancomprise a fabric such as polyester, a plastic such as flexiblepolyvinyl, and/or linoleum. The shell 24 can be made of a material thatcan be easily cleaned, for example with isopropyl or ethanol solutions,such that no measurable allergen remains in the housing 20 aftercleaning. In an embodiment, the housing 20 is at least partiallydisposable; for example, the frame 22 and/or the shell 24 can bedisposable. As used herein, a “disposable” article is designed for asingle use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. Forexample, a disposable article is not permanently fixed in position in abuilding, and a disposable article can be moved from its positionwithout damaging the article.

The shell 24 can be connected to the frame 22 to form the housing 20.For example, a portion of the shell 24 can be reversibly attachable toand removable from the frame 22. Alternatively or additionally, aportion of the shell 24 can be fixedly attached to and/or integral withthe frame 22. The shell 24 can comprise a door 26 that opens and closes,for example by a zipper. The bottom of the shell 24 can be secured to asolid surface, for example by floor tape 27. In an embodiment, the shell24 does not have an integrated floor; additionally or alternatively, aportion of the shell 24 can comprise an integrated floor. If the bottomof the shell 24 is secured to a solid surface, preferably the solidsurface does not have carpet.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing 20 in the operativeconfiguration can have any size, preferably at least large enough tocontain a human seated on a chair or stool 28. The housing 20 in theoperative configuration can have a width 21. As non-limiting examples,the width 21 can be at least three feet, preferably at least four feet,more preferably at least five feet, most preferably at least six feet,and/or the width 21 can be at most nine feet, preferably at most eightfeet, more preferably at most seven feet. In an embodiment, the width 21is about six feet, but the housing 20 in the operative configuration isnot limited to a specific distance of the width 21.

The housing 20 in the operative configuration can have a depth 23perpendicular to the width 21. As non-limiting examples, the depth 23can be at least three feet, preferably at least four feet, morepreferably at least five feet, most preferably at least six feet, and/orthe depth 23 can be at most nine feet, preferably at most eight feet,more preferably at most seven feet. In an embodiment, the depth 23 isabout six feet, but the housing 20 in the operative configuration is notlimited to a specific distance of the depth 23.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 20 in the operative configuration canhave a height 25. As non-limiting examples, the height 25 can be atleast four feet, preferably at least five feet, more preferably at leastsix feet, and/or the height 25 can be at most ten feet, preferably atmost nine feet, more preferably at most eight feet. In an embodiment,the height 25 is about seven feet, but the housing 20 in the operativeconfiguration is not limited to a specific distance of the height 25.Preferably the width 21 is substantially the same for the majority ofthe height 25 of the housing 20 and/or the depth 23 is substantially thesame for the majority of the height 25 of the housing 20, although thehousing 20 can taper at the top end thereof in a non-limiting embodimentshown in FIG. 1 .

As noted above, the housing 20 in the transport/storage configurationdefines an interior that is smaller relative to the operativeconfiguration or does not define an interior e.g. the housing 20 isfolded completely upon itself. For example, at least one of the width21, the depth 23 or the height 25 is less in the transport/storageconfiguration than the operative configuration, and preferably all threeare less in the transport/storage configuration than the operativeconfiguration. In an embodiment, the housing 20 in the transport/storageconfiguration can be positioned within and carried by a conventionalbackpack.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the allergen source 30 can be positioned withinthe housing 20. The allergen source 30 can be any source of an allergen,preferably an allergen from a pet, more preferably from a companionanimal, most preferably from a cat. For example, the allergen source 30can be a cat litter box that contains cat litter soiled by urine and/orfeces. As another example, the allergen source 30 can be an opencontainer in which cat hair is positioned. An “allergen” is anysubstance that can produce an immune response in some individuals but isotherwise harmless to such individuals.

The air circulation device 41 can be positioned within the housing 20.The air circulation device 41 can be any device that suspends and/ordistributes at least a portion of the allergen from the allergen source30. For example, the air circulation device 41 can be at least onemechanical fan comprising a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades thatextend from a hub. In a preferred embodiment, the air circulation device41 can comprise a primary fan, and the apparatus 10 can comprise anadditional air circulation device 42 that can comprise a secondary fansuch as an oscillating fan. An “oscillating fan” is a fan for which thehub rotates on at least two axes, namely the axis of rotation of thevanes/blades and another axis that is different than the axis ofrotation of the vanes/blades. Preferably the other axis of theoscillating fan is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of thevanes/blades.

The air circulation device 41 and the additional air circulation device42 can direct air to circulate the allergen from the allergen source 30into the environment of the interior of the housing 20. For example, theair circulation device 41 can be positioned to blow or otherwise directair at and/or across the allergen source 30, and the additional aircirculation device 42 can be positioned on the directly opposite side ofthe allergen source 30 from the air circulation device 41 to blow orotherwise direct air in the opposite direction and thus produce airturbulence adjacent to and/or above the allergen source 30. This airturbulence can maintain particles from the allergen source 30 insuspension in the environment of the interior of the housing 20 duringtesting. For example, in an embodiment where the allergen source 30comprises a cat litter box, the air turbulence from the air circulationdevice 41 and the additional air circulation device 42 can distributeand/or suspend cat litter particles in the interior of the housing 20.

The apparatus 10 can comprise a collection device 50 that can bepositioned within the housing 20. The collection device 50 can be anydevice capable of collecting the allergen and/or particles comprisingthe allergen. In an embodiment, the collection device 50 comprises oneor more petri plates 52. As a non-limiting example, the one or morepetri plates 52 can comprise 10 cm petri plates pre-coated with a 2%gelatin solution from cold water fish skin. The one or more petri plates52 can be positioned adjacent to each other or in different locations inthe housing 20. As a non-limiting example, some of the petri plates 52can be positioned on the floor approximately 10 cm from the edge of theallergen source 30, and some of the petri plates 52 can be positioned ona table 54, such as a 1 m table approximately 1 m from the allergensource 30.

The air circulation device 41 and the additional air circulation device42 can be activated for a predetermined time period, and the materialcollected by the collection apparatus 50 can be extracted after thepredetermined time period. The collected material can be extracted usingany compound capable of removing the allergen from the collection device50, for example a solution of phosphate buffered saline, 0.1%polysorbate 20 such as TWEEN® 20, and 0.15% antimicrobial such asKATHON® (“PBS-Tk”).

Then the material extracted from the collection device 50 can be assayedto determine the quantity of allergen emitted from the allergen source30 during the predetermined time period. In an embodiment, the extractedmaterial can be assayed to determine the quantity of Fel d1 emitted froma soiled cat litter box during a predetermined time period. For example,the extracted material can be assayed for Fel d1 using a commerciallyavailable Fel d1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit such asProduct Code EL-FD1 from Indoor Biotechnologies. The allergen can bequantitated as ng/plate/hour.

As discussed in further detail in Example 1 later in this application,the present inventors verified the effectiveness of the apparatus 10.For example, two soiled litter boxes from the same cat were used fordifferent amounts of time (in days). The longer the cat had used thelitter box (allergen source 30), the higher the level of Fel d1 that wasemitted into the housing 20 by the litter box (allergen source 30),collected by the collection device 50, and quantitated by assay.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus 10 is configurable. Forexample, one or more of the allergen source 30, the air circulationdevice 41, the additional air circulation device 42, or the collectiondevice 50 can be movable relative to the housing 20 e.g. not fixedlyattached to the housing 20. As another example, the shell 24 cancomprise portals for sampling or injecting allergen e.g. at least aportion of the allergen source 30 can be positioned exterior relative tothe housing 20, and/or at least a portion of the collection device 50can be positioned exterior relative to the housing 20. As yet anotherexample, a pipe can be attached to and/or insert through the shell 24.The pipe can be used to establish and/or maintain a desired pressure inthe interior of the housing 20, for example a positive pressure, anegative pressure, or an ambient pressure. If a pipe is used, preferablythe apparatus 10 still provides the closed system in which the testedallergen does not exit the interior of the housing 20 during use of theapparatus 10 and additional allergen does not enter the interior of thehousing 20 during use of the apparatus 10.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method 100 of generatingand measuring environmental levels of an allergen, for example anallergen from a companion animal such as a cat. An embodiment of themethod 100 is generally illustrated in FIG. 3 . The method 100 canemploy the apparatus 10 and/or another apparatus.

In Step 102, air can be directed at and/or across a first allergensource that is preferably contained within a chamber that provides aclosed system. The chamber can contain one or more collection devices.Additionally or alternatively, one or more collection devices can beoutside of the chamber but have access to the interior of the chamberthrough one or more portals. Step 102 is preferably performed for apredetermined time period.

One or more air circulation devices, preferably positioned within thechamber, can direct the air at and/or across the first allergen sourceduring Step 102. The one or more air circulation devices can be anydevice capable or suspending and/or distributing the allergen in thechamber. In an embodiment, a primary fan can be positioned to blow orotherwise direct air at and/or across the first allergen source. Asecondary oscillating fan can be positioned on the directly oppositeside of the first allergen source from the primary fan to blow orotherwise direct air in the opposite direction and thus produce airturbulence adjacent to and/or above the first allergen source. This airturbulence can maintain particles from the first allergen source insuspension in the environment of the interior of the housing duringtesting.

In Step 104, material collected by the one or more collection devicescan be extracted, for example after Step 102 is completed. Each of theone or more collection devices can be any device capable of collectingthe allergen and/or particles comprising the allergen. For example, theone or more collection devices can comprise petri plates at variouspositions within the chamber. The material can be extracted using anycompound capable of removing the allergen from the one or morecollection devices, for example a phosphate-buffered solution.

In Step 106, the extracted material can be assayed to determine thequantity of the allergen collected by the one or more collectiondevices. Any assay capable of identifying a quantity of the allergen canbe used, for example an ELISA kit. The quantity of the allergencollected by the one or more collection devices during the test can beindicative of the quantity of allergen emitted by the allergen sourceduring the test.

In an embodiment, the method 100 can measure the effectiveness ofvarious approaches implemented to reduce environmental levels of anairborne allergen. In such an embodiment, the method 100 can be repeatedwith a second allergen source that is different than the first allergensource. In such an embodiment, Steps 102, 104 and 106 are preferablyperformed the same as they were previously performed, other than thedifferent allergen sources.

The second allergen source can be a cat litter box that has beensubjected to at least one different condition than the first cat litterbox and/or has at least one different characteristic relative to thefirst cat litter box. For example, the first allergen source can be afirst cat litter box used by a first specific cat, and the secondallergen source can be a second cat litter box used by a second specificcat. Other than the different specific cats, the first and second catlitter boxes can be subjected to one or more same or similar conditions,for example the same type of cat litter, one or more of the samelocation, the same time period of use, or the same amount of wastematter deposited therein. In this example, the method 100 can determinewhich of the specific cats sheds less allergen. By using the method 100to measure which specific cat sheds less allergen, an individual canselect a cat that minimizes or prevents the individual's exposure to theallergen.

As another example, the first allergen source can be a first cat litterbox used by a first breed of cat, and the second allergen source can bea second cat litter box used by a second breed of cat. Other than thedifferent breeds of cat, the first and second cat litter boxes can besubjected to one or more same or similar conditions, for example thesame type of cat litter, one or more of the same location, the same timeperiod of use, or the same amount of waste matter deposited therein. Inthis example, the method 100 can determine which breed of cat sheds lessallergen. By using the method 100 to measure which breed of cat shedsless allergen, an individual can select a breed of cat that minimizes orprevents the individual's exposure to the allergen.

As yet another example, the first allergen source can be a first catlitter box containing a first type of cat litter, and the secondallergen source can be a second cat litter box containing a second typeof cat litter. Other than the different types of cat litter, the firstand second cat litter boxes can be subjected to one or more same orsimilar conditions, for example one or more of the same location, thesame time period of use, the same amount of waste matter depositedtherein, use by the same breed of cat, or use by the same specific cat.In this example, the method 100 can determine which of the first andsecond types of cat litter is more effective at preventing emission ofthe allergen from the litter box. By using the method 100 to measurewhich type of cat litter is more effective at preventing emission of theallergen from the litter box, an individual can select a type of catlitter that minimizes or prevents the individual's exposure to theallergen.

As still another example, the first allergen source can be a first catlitter box used by a cat that has been provided a first diet, and thesecond allergen source can be a second cat litter box used by a cat thathas been provided a second diet. The cat that has been provided thefirst diet can be the same breed or the same specific cat as the catthat has been provided the second diet. Other than the different dietsof the cat(s), the first and second cat litter boxes can be subjected toone or more same or similar conditions, for example one or more of thesame location, the same time period of use, the same amount of wastematter deposited therein, the same type of cat litter, use by the samebreed of cat, or use by the same specific cat. In this example, themethod 100 can determine which of the first and second diets results inthe cat producing less of the allergen relative to the other diet. Byusing the method 100 to measure which diet is more effective atpreventing allergen production, an individual can administer a diet tothe cat that minimizes or prevents the individual's exposure to theallergen.

As an even further example, the first allergen source can be an allergensource that collected allergen in a first location, such as a first roomof a house, and the second allergen source can be an allergen sourcethat collected allergen in a second location different than the firstlocation, such as a second room of the house. Other than the location atwhich the allergen sources are positioned, the first and second allergensources can be subjected to one or more same or similar conditions, forexample the same time period of use and/or use by the same specific cat.In this example, the method 100 can determine which of the locationscontains less of the allergen relative to the other location. By usingthe method 100 to determine which location contains more allergen, anindividual can avoid the location to thereby minimize or preventexposure to the allergen.

The second allergen source can be used in the same chamber as the firstallergen source after the testing of the first allergen source iscompleted and preferably after the chamber is cleaned. Alternatively,the second allergen source can be used in a different chamber than thefirst allergen source, for example substantially contemporaneously; thechambers are preferably substantially the same, for example the samedimensions and/or the same materials.

In another embodiment, a method 200 can expose a subject, preferably oneor more human subjects, to an allergen to evaluate the symptoms of thesubject. The method 200 can employ the apparatus 10 and/or anotherapparatus.

In Step 202, which is optional, the subject is absent while a chamberthat provides a closed system is loaded with an allergen. In anembodiment, the subject can be absent during a predetermined time inwhich air is directed at and/or across a first allergen source containedwithin the chamber. For example, the allergen can be distributed in theapparatus for a predetermined time period without the subject, such asthirty-six hours.

The chamber can contain one or more collection devices. Additionally oralternatively, one or more collection devices can be outside of thechamber but have access to the interior of the chamber through one ormore portals.

In Step 204, the subject is present in the chamber that provides aclosed system while the allergen is distributed and/or circulatedtherein. In an embodiment, the subject can be present in the chamberduring a predetermined time in which air is directed at and/or across afirst allergen source contained within the chamber. For example, thesubject can be within the chamber with the allergen circulating for apredetermined time period, such as four to eight hours.

One or more air circulation devices, preferably positioned within thechamber, can direct the air at and/or across the first allergen sourceduring Steps 202 and 204. The one or more air circulation devices can beany device capable or suspending and/or distributing the allergen in thechamber. In an embodiment, a primary fan can be positioned to blow orotherwise direct air at and/or across the first allergen source. Asecondary oscillating fan can be positioned on the directly oppositeside of the first allergen source from the primary fan to blow orotherwise direct air in the opposite direction and thus produce airturbulence adjacent to and/or above the first allergen source. This airturbulence can maintain particles from the first allergen source insuspension in the environment of the interior of the housing duringtesting.

In Step 206, material collected by the one or more collection devicescan be extracted, for example after Step 204 is completed. Each of theone or more collection devices can be any device capable of collectingthe allergen and/or particles comprising the allergen. For example, theone or more collection devices can comprise petri plates at variouspositions within the chamber. The material can be extracted using anycompound capable of removing the allergen from the one or morecollection devices, for example a phosphate-buffered solution.

In Step 208, the extracted material can be assayed to determine thequantity of the allergen collected by the one or more collection devicesduring the test. Any assay capable of identifying a quantity of theallergen can be used, for example an ELISA kit. The quantity of theallergen collected by the one or more collection devices during the testcan be indicative of the quantity of allergen emitted by the allergensource during the test.

In Step 210, the symptoms, if any, of the subject in response to theairborne allergen can then be evaluated to determine the sensitivity ofthe subject to the allergen. The symptoms, if any, of the subject can becorrelated to the quantity of the allergen emitted from the allergensource during these test.

The method 200 can measure the symptoms of the subject at variousenvironmental levels of the allergen. In such an embodiment, Steps 202,204, 206 and 208 can be repeated, for example with the predeterminedtime period of Step 204 being different, or with a second allergensource different from the first allergen source (subjected to at leastone different condition and/or has at least one differentcharacteristic, e.g. the amount of the allergen in the allergen sourceis different). The method 200 can be used determine a threshold amountof allergen at which symptoms are induced in the subject. The thresholdamount of allergen for the subject can be used to select an appropriatepet for the subject to own, for example a specific breed of cat or aspecific cat, such that the pet does not induce allergic symptoms in thesubject or induces tolerable allergic symptoms in the subject.

In an embodiment of the method 200, a predetermined amount of theallergen can be provided in the allergen source. For example, hair froma cat may be assayed to determine the concentration of the allergen inthe hair, and then the hair may be provided in the allergen source in anamount that contains the desired amount of allergen. The predeterminedamount of the allergen can be used to determine the symptoms of thesubject in response to the predetermined amount, and variouspredetermined amounts can be used to determine a threshold amount ofallergen that must be exceeded to induce the symptoms in the specificsubject.

EXAMPLES

By way of example and not limitation, the following non-limitingexamples are illustrative of apparatuses and methods of generating andmeasuring environmental levels of an allergen in embodiments provided bythe present disclosure.

Example 1

A first experiment was performed regarding differential loading ofenvironmental chambers using different mass amounts of cat hair from thesame cat. Three environmental chambers were loaded with 1, 0.5 or 0.25 gof cat hair from the cat “Montana.” Dust was collected using petriplates coated with 0.2% gelatin for 72 hours.

The dust was extracted from the petri plates and analyzed for Fel d1using a commercially available ELISA kit (Indoor Pharmaceuticals). Thelevel of Fel d1 was then normalized to time (ng Fel d1/plate/hour). Eachdust collection was done in triplicate. Results are shown in the tablebelow and FIG. 5 and show that the amount of allergen source correspondsclosely to the level detected in the environmental chamber.

TABLE 1 Fel d1 Levels in ECs grams or hair ng Fel d1/plate/hr SD  1.0 g0.087 0.015  0.5 g 0.060 0.006 0.25 g 0.015 0.006

Example 2

A second experiment was performed in which three environmental chamberswere loaded with 1 g of hair from three different cats, namely high,medium and low level Fel d1-producing cats. The level of Fel d1 for eachcat was determined by measuring the Fel d1 in their hair and normalizingto mass amount of hair (ng Fel d1/mg hair). The hair from each cat wasmeasured in triplicate.

Fel d1 levels in the cat hair used to load the environmental chambersare shown in the table below.

TABLE 2 Cat ng Fel d1/mg hair Montana 828 ng/mg hair Stymie 277 ng/mghair Koala  16 ng/mg hair

The dust was extracted from the petri plates and analyzed for Fel d1 aspreviously described in Example 1. Results are shown in the table belowand FIG. 6 and show that the allergen production of the cat correspondsclosely to the level detected in the environmental chamber.

TABLE 3 House Fel D1 levels Location ng Fel d1/plate/hr SD JL 0.0550.0076 CT CR (cat) 0.049 0.0028 CT BR (no cat) 0.009 0.0086

Example 3

A third experiment was performed in which the level of Fel d1 in homesof cat owners was determined by collecting dust using the methoddescribed previously in Example 1. Dust was collected in “cat rooms” and“cat-free rooms” when possible in the same household. Dust was collectedfor 5 days (120 hours). Results are shown in the table below and FIG. 7and show that the allergen production of the cat corresponds closely tothe level detected in the environmental chamber.

TABLE 4 House Fel D1 levels Location ng Fel d1/plate/hr SD JL 0.0550.0076 CT CR (cat) 0.049 0.0028 CT BR (no cat) 0.009 0.0086

Example 4

Adult domestic shorthair cats were enrolled at two different locations:St. Joseph, Mo.—Study 1 (N=27) and Fergus, Ontario—Study 2 (N=37). Datacollection started in the spring for Study 1 and in the fall for Study2. In Study 1, 74% (N=20) of cats were male and 26% (N=7) were female.In Study 2, 19% (N=7) of cats were male and 81% (N=30) were female. Allcats were either spayed or neutered. At the start of the study, the catswere on average 7.89 years old (SD=4.92) for Study 1 and 8.70 years old(SD=2.63) for Study 2. The cats weighed an average of 5.43 kg (SD=0.22)for Study 1 and 3.57 kg (SD=0.27) for Study 2. In addition to weight,the body condition score for each cat was measured. A body conditionscore was assigned to each cat based on a 9-point scale (1-3 too thin,4-5 ideal, and 6-9 too heavy) (Laflamme, 1997). The average BCS was 6.34(SD=0.53) for Study 1 and 6.51 (SD=0.67) for Study 2.

In both studies, salivary Fel d1 was measured twice a day, every otherday for a year duration. Not all the saliva collections were performedas planned, the cause of the interruptions included: unrelated healthissues, moving cats into a new building, and the removal of cats due totheir enrollment in concurrent studies.

The average number of days where salivary Fel d1 was measured was 144.43(SD=11.25) for study 1 and 128.11 (SD=43.83) for study 2. Cats weremeasured at two points during the day, during the morning and during theafternoon.

Saliva collection was performed with commercially available Salivette®(Sarstedt, Nümbrecht, Germany) following the manufacturer's instructions(Park et al., 2008; Poll et al., 2007). Cat saliva samples were obtainedby letting cats chew on Salivette that absorbs saliva. The saliva wasthen extracted by centrifuging the Salivettes, then they were stored at−80° C. until they were analyzed with a commercial Fel d1 ELISA kit(Indoor Technologies). The samples inventory of study 2 included if theamount of saliva collected was below 100 μl.

About 0.2 grams of hair was collected by grooming each cat with a newgrooming brush. The hair was then stored in individual plastic bags at2-8° C. until extraction. Extractions were performed in triplicates byweighing 15 to 30 mg of hair, then adding 200 μl of PBS 0.1% for each mgof hair. After overnight shaking, the supernatant was transferred to anew tube, centrifuged at 1000 g for 10 min, then transferred andcentrifuged once again. The resulting supernatant was stored at −20° C.until it was analyzed with the same commercial Fel d1 ELISA kit used inmeasuring salivary Fel d1. The final result on the Fel d1 analysis wasthe average of the 3 extracts per hair collection.

To examine the relationship between alternative methods of measuring Feld1, a comparison was done between salivary and hair Fel d1 measuresusing a subset of cats from study 1. These two were strongly related toeach other (r=0.85, p<0.01), even though there was a year gap betweenwhen the salivary Fel d1 and hair Fel d1 were collected.

Saliva data (μg Fel d1/ml of saliva) collected twice daily every otherday over a year from study 1 and study 2 is presented in table 5. Salivadata (μg Fel d1/ml of saliva) collected once daily every other day overa year from Study 1 and Study 2 is presented in table 6.

TABLE 5 Study 1 Study 2 Average Average (μg Fel d1/ml Number of Numberof (μg Fel d1/ml Number of Number of of saliva) measures cats of saliva)measures cats January 5.84 590 24 11.35  907 37 February 5.08 528 1610.54  926 37 March 4.50 416 16  7.48  902 37 April 4.70 542 23  7.37 923 37 May 6.38 958 26  6.60  956 37 June 6.73 604 24  6.36  950 37July 7.12 612 24  7.56  897 37 August 7.18 635 24  5.83 1013 37September 7.50 565 24  6.53  857 37 October 6.97 606 24  5.82  977 37November 7.19 240 24  8.65  953 37 December 5.85 624 24 15.37  720 37

TABLE 6 Study 1 Study 2 Average Average (μg Fel d1/ml Number of Numberof (μg Fel d1/ml Number of Number of of saliva) measures cats of saliva)measures cats January 6.50 295 24 12.68 461 37 February 5.51 264 1612.13 465 37 March 4.76 208 16  8.30 443 37 April 5.04 271 23  8.11 46537 May 6.63 479 26  7.12 479 37 June 7.25 302 24  7.35 477 37 July 8.02306 24  8.16 454 37 August 7.89 318 24  6.08 506 37 September 8.32 28324  6.82 432 37 October 7.69 303 24  6.63 496 37 November 7.70 120 24 9.05 486 37 December 6.24 312 24 17.55 354 37

As shown in Table 5 and 6, the expression of Fel d1 varied monthly. Inone aspect, the higher expression time period can be from November toFebruary. In another aspect, the high expression time period can be fromJuly to September. Additionally, individual expressions for each cat isshown in Table 7 and 8, shown in μg/ml (microgram Fel d1 per ml ofsaliva). Saliva data (μg Fel d1/ml of saliva) collected twice dailyevery other day over a year from Study 1 and Study 2 is presented intable 7. Saliva data (μg Fel d1/ml of saliva) collected once daily everyother day over a year from Study 1 and Study 2 is presented in table 8.

TABLE 7 Average Cat ID (μg/ml) Cat #1 0.36 Cat #2 0.49 Cat #3 1.02 Cat#4 1.08 Cat #5 1.14 Cat #6 1.20 Cat #7 1.24 Cat #8 1.52 Cat #9 1.61 Cat#10 1.74 Cat #11 2.11 Cat #12 2.11 Cat #13 2.53 Cat #14 2.54 Cat #152.58 Cat #16 3.01 Cat #17 3.30 Cat #18 3.44 Cat #19 3.88 Cat #20 3.95Cat #21 3.98 Cat #22 3.99 Cat #23 4.16 Cat #24 4.17 Cat #25 4.22 Cat #264.24 Cat #27 4.36 Cat #28 4.46 Cat #29 4.54 Cat #30 4.64 Cat #31 4.95Cat #32 5.04 Cat #33 5.29 Cat #34 5.72 Cat #35 5.76 Cat #36 6.42 Cat #376.50 Cat #38 6.62 Cat #39 6.68 Cat #40 6.80 Cat #41 7.29 Cat #42 7.87Cat #43 8.04 Cat #44 8.20 Cat #45 8.71 Cat #46 8.50 Cat #47 9.36 Cat #489.27 Cat #49 9.28 Cat #50 9.38 Cat #51 11.07 Cat #52 11.44 Cat #53 11.78Cat #54 11.87 Cat #55 14.19 Cat #56 15.02 Cat #57 14.80 Cat #58 16.61Cat #59 17.11 Cat #60 18.34 Cat #61 20.47 Cat #62 21.99 Cat #63 23.36Cat #64 35.04

TABLE 8 Average Cat ID (μg/ml) Cat #1 0.37 Cat #2 0.50 Cat #3 1.10 Cat#4 1.10 Cat #5 1.28 Cat #6 1.38 Cat #7 1.38 Cat #8 1.64 Cat #9 1.72 Cat#10 1.88 Cat #11 2.03 Cat #12 2.13 Cat #13 2.70 Cat #14 2.59 Cat #152.55 Cat #16 3.01 Cat #17 3.35 Cat #18 3.70 Cat #19 4.20 Cat #20 4.57Cat #21 4.03 Cat #22 4.07 Cat #23 4.54 Cat #24 4.42 Cat #25 4.32 Cat #264.48 Cat #27 4.63 Cat #28 4.83 Cat #29 5.05 Cat #30 4.80 Cat #31 5.42Cat #32 5.42 Cat #33 5.60 Cat #34 5.90 Cat #35 5.50 Cat #36 6.91 Cat #376.57 Cat #38 7.49 Cat #39 7.61 Cat #40 6.59 Cat #41 7.85 Cat #42 7.23Cat #43 8.33 Cat #44 8.81 Cat #45 8.84 Cat #46 9.29 Cat #47 11.41 Cat#48 11.91 Cat #49 10.92 Cat #50 10.56 Cat #51 12.59 Cat #52 12.45 Cat#53 12.11 Cat #54 15.60 Cat #55 15.26 Cat #56 17.60 Cat #57 15.77 Cat#58 18.20 Cat #59 17.67 Cat #60 19.71 Cat #61 23.22 Cat #62 24.34 Cat#63 25.20 Cat #64 42.45

As shown in Tables 7 and 8, felines produce Fel d1 in varying amounts.As such, low, medium, and high Fel d1 producers can be quantified. LowFel d1 producers can include felines that produce Fel d1 in an amountranging from 0.01 to 5 micrograms per ml of saliva (μg/ml). Medium Feld1 producers can include felines that produce Fel d1 in an amountranging from between 5 and 10 micrograms per ml of saliva (μg/ml). HighFel d1 producers can include felines that produce Fel d1 in an amountfrom 10 to 100 micrograms per ml of saliva (μg/ml). Felines producingmore than 100 micrograms per ml of saliva can also be deemed high Fel d1producers.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present subjectmatter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is thereforeintended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A method of enabling anindividual having a cat allergy to have a cat as a pet, the methodcomprising: measuring salivary Fel d1 from the cat periodically over aduration, to identify a portion of the duration that is a time periodwhere the cat expresses elevated allergens relative to another portionof the duration; and lowering the allergens disseminated by the cat bytreating the environment inhabited by the cat during the time periodwhere the cat expresses elevated allergens.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the allergen is Fel d1.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereintreating the environment includes shampooing the cat to remove allergenfrom the cat.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein treating the environmentincludes wiping, contacting, or cleaning a member selected from thegroup consisting of counters, floors, furniture, bedding, and walls,with an antibody that binds to the allergen.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein treating the environment includes oral administering to the catantibodies that bind to the allergens.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinthe antibodies are polyclonal antibodies.
 7. The method of claim 5,wherein the antibodies are part of a food composition.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the allergens are lowered by at least 50%.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the duration comprises at least a year; andthe time period, where the cat expresses elevated allergens relative toanother portion of the duration, comprises at least one month.